UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco is home to advanced technology and world-class physicians, with more than 150 experts in 50 different specialties. Now San Francisco's only children's hospital has a spectacular new home at Mission Bay, designed from the ground up with kids in mind.

Light-filled private rooms comfortably accommodate parents and loved ones. The in-room multimedia wall keeps patients entertained and connected to friends and classrooms back home. New, state-of-the-art playrooms, lounges and activity rooms, plus more than four acres of green space, give kids the chance to be kids — even in the hospital. These are just a few of the ways we tend to the special needs of our young patients and their families.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco will stand as an iconic landmark of health care, built from the ground up with care and compassion in mind. Through revolutionary medical research and specialized patient care designed just for kids, UCSF is bringing the future of children’s health to Mission Bay.

The new UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco was built with care and compassion and features child-friendly patient rooms, common areas designed to foster community and connection, and spacious facilities that will help enrich our range of Child Life Services.

Before the new Mission Bay hospital was built, the blood and marrow transplant (BMT) team was tasked with drawing up a "dream big" wish list of features that would make the ideal BMT facility. Their dreams are now a reality at Mission Bay.

A fleet of robots will haul food, medicines, linens and lab specimens around the hospital, so staff can spend less time running errands and more time focusing on something more important: helping patients.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco will be home to the city's only medical helipad, making advanced, lifesaving care possible for critically ill newborns, children and pregnant women from outlying areas.

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8 Little Touches Making a Difference for Kids

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It's the Little Things

From the family-friendly rooms to the rooftop gardens, each detail of the new UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco has been carefully chosen to create an environment that soothes, entertains and supports the healing of our young patients.

Interactive Art All Over

For kids, a trip to the hospital can be scary. That's why the art at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital invites engagement, which helps "children feel like they have control over their environment," says Michael Towne, UCSF Child Life Services manager.

Creature murals add a dose of fun to our hallways. Pose for a photo with a pair of wings, antlers or beautiful feathers. The lobby's 27-foot Invisible Stained Glass exhibit, developed in partnership with San Francisco's Exploratorium museum, lets kids spin filters to create colorful, kaleidoscopic patterns. The artful touches continue in the patient rooms, which feature special glass that casts colored light patterns on the floors.

Adventure-Themed Imaging Suites

Our new imaging suites are equipped with stereo surround sound and projected images designed to evoke a hike through Muir Woods, a ride on a cable car or a sail on the San Francisco Bay, complete with images of boats gliding by or the clanging of a cable car. Patients will also have the choice to use special MRI goggles to watch a favorite movie during their MRI.

Experts hope the suites will ease "scanxiety" and reduce the need for sedation or repeat tests. "Kids typically hesitate when they're told to hop on the table. But if instead they're told, 'Let's go take a ride on the boat,' they're more likely to be intrigued than anxious," says Dr. John MacKenzie, chief of pediatric radiology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

Child-Sized Features

Hospitals can seem large and intimidating to kids. To help our patients feel more at home, we've installed everything from low counters at the nurse stations to wall handrails just the right height for kids. There's even a tyke-sized door at the hospital's gift shop.

Entertainment Suites

Each patient room has a large flat-screen TV that does a lot more than play reruns. Patients can use the TVs to order meals on demand, play movies and music and — come mid-March — virtually join their classroom back home or video chat with friends and family via Skype. Health care providers can use the TVs to project medical imaging information during consultations with families.

Each room also comes with a bedside tablet, which kids can use for playing video games.

Creative Outlets and Activities

Whether our patients’ stays are long or short, we want them to enjoy as much "normal life" as possible. That includes staying on track with schoolwork at the K-12 Marie Wattis School, a fully accredited part of the San Francisco Unified School District. We also offer extensive art and music therapy programs including a creative arts studio for music production, as well as a digital arts studio for teens to make their own movies. "Art and music are expressive modalities," Michael Towne says. "They can be a powerful way for patients to process some of the profound and emotional issues they're facing." Many activities are open to siblings of patients as well.

Space to Stay by Your Child's Side

Surgery can be particularly scary for kids. That's why we designed special pre-operative rooms so kids never have to feel alone. In a single private room, you'll stay by your child's side as anesthesia is given.

We want families to feel welcome at all times, day or night. To make it easier for family and loved ones to stay close, patient rooms feature a "family area" equipped with storage space, Wi-Fi and a comfortable sleeper couch.

Our innovative new Intensive Care Nursery will also keep babies in private rooms — doubles for twins — instead of the traditional bays of four to six babies. This cuts down on unnecessary light and noise and makes it easier for parents to give their newborns plenty of skin-to-skin contact — all of which have been shown to benefit premature babies.

Play Space So Kids Can Be Kids

Playrooms are designed by age, with colorful games and toys for youngsters and a foosball table, video games and kitchen lounge for teens.

We've also kept the different needs of our various patients in mind. Kids on the Blood and Marrow Transplant unit, who are at high risk of infection, can connect face-to-face with their siblings via a special activity room with a windowed wall and phone. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit also has a customized playroom for siblings and parents with muted light, fiber optic "stars" in the ceiling and low-slung alcoves where families can talk in a protected space. "We call it 'The Room that Hugs You,'" says Towne.

For patients struggling with stress, anxiety and pain, the new multi-sensory room offers distractions such as a vibration table, projected images and bubble tubes of different, changeable colors. "It allows children to escape the whole medical environment in a mindful and very sensory way," Towne says.

Nature in the City

Mission Bay's 4.3 total acres of garden space make it among the greenest urban hospitals in the country. Giant windows in every patient room overlook rooftop gardens, and a tranquil space to enjoy greenery so fresh air is always just a few steps away. Kids can do physical therapy sessions outside in the sunshine, in the Children's Play Terrace garden across from the Physical Rehabilitation Center.

7 Great Perks for Parents

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Lessons Learned

When it comes to building a children's hospital that serves the whole family, what better experts to consult than families who've been there, done that? Our Family Advisory Committee showed us the touches, both big and small, that can help support parents during a hospital stay.

All in the Family

Every patient room is single occupancy, and all have Wi-Fi and a dedicated family area with thoughtful details such as a sleeper sofa and a lockable cupboard for safely storing your personal belongings. You can order fresh, healthy meals to be delivered right to the room, making it easier to stay by your child's side.

Babies in the Intensive Care Nursery will also stay in private rooms — doubles for twins — with special family areas making it more comfortable for parents to stay close to their newborns.

Convenience is Key

In order to help support parents and siblings as best as possible, we've designated a spacious Family Resources Room where you can relax, connect to Wi-Fi, chat with other families and become more educated about your child's condition. There are two telephone rooms for making private calls. The room also has a Resource Library, where parents can check out books. You can make use of a scanner, fax and computer terminals so that you can take care of any business. Missing vital toiletries? There's a stock of necessities on hand here, as well as a special shower area for families to use.

Plenty of Fresh Air

The hospital delivers 100 percent fresh outdoor air, with no recirculation, throughout the buildings. Plus, Mission Bay has designed relaxing outdoor terraces on every floor — close by patient rooms, so you never need to go far to get outside and regroup.

Ronald McDonald House on Site

For families who've traveled from afar, the Ronald McDonald House offers a home-away-from-home, with room for 11 families, laundry facilities and a fully equipped kitchen — all integrated within the hospital.

Concierge Care

Navigating the health care system is tough! So we've designed a Pediatric Surgery Family Concierge service, a one-stop liaison to help parents schedule pediatric surgeries and complex procedures. The liaison serves as a single point of contact, helps coordinate care and gives parents an easy-to-follow itinerary.

Family Friendly Pre-Op

To help ease pre-op anxiety, parents can join their children in a private pre-operative room. You can stay right by your child's side as anesthesia is given, so your child never feels alone.

Room to Roam and Recharge

Mission Bay is among the greenest urban hospitals in the world, with 16 unique gardens and more than 4 acres of green space. Meditation rooms with low light, calming music and nature-inspired décor offer space for solitude and reflection. The ground-floor meditation garden provides further soothing respite with a fountain and labyrinth. The Fourth Street Public Plaza just steps outside the hospital will host farmers' markets and community events.

Room Tour: Children's Acute Care

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Creature Comforts

During a prolonged hospital stay, a patient's room becomes a home away from home. When designing our new hospital, we drew upon a century of research and patient care experience to create patient rooms that provide unmatched care and comfort.

Family Matters

Having family close by is a vital part of the healing process, especially for a child. To help families stay close to their children and attend to life's obligations, all rooms are equipped with wireless high-speed Internet, locking storage closets and extendable sofas designed for overnight stays. Amenities such as showers and laundry facilities are close by.

High-Tech Touches

Each patient room has a large flat-screen TV that does a lot more than play reruns. Kids can use the TVs to watch movies, listen to music and even — starting mid-March — virtually join their classroom back home via Skype.

Patients can also order on-demand meals via the TV, while health care providers can use the screen to project medical imaging information during consultations with families.

Natural Light and Views

Large windows bring in abundant natural light and offer garden, city or bay views. Double window shades provide filtered light or a total blackout, whichever the patient prefers. Outdoor lounges on every floor make it easy for patients and families to step outside and recharge.

Handy Hygiene

A hand-washing sink at the door makes it easy for visitors to wash up as they enter, helping protect our patients from infection. The rooms also feature smooth surfaces for more efficient cleaning and reduced infection risk.

Room Tour: Children's Intensive Care Unit

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A Healing Environment

The intensive care unit (ICU) rooms are designed to provide patients and their families with a comfortable, peaceful setting that supports healing and recovery.

Family Matters

Having family close by to provide comfort and reassurance helps children pull through their hospital stay with healthy bodies and minds. To make it easier for families to stay by their child's side, our ICU patient rooms feature comfortable chairs, high-speed wireless Internet, lockable storage closets and pull-out sofas for overnight stays.

Flexible Space

The ceiling-mounted equipment boom allows staff to configure the room for each patient's needs, reducing the amount of equipment on the floor and freeing up space for health care providers to more effectively care for patients.

Practical Considerations

Our commitment to health and healing includes a host of modern features like PVC-free rubber flooring with rounded sides for easy cleaning and infection control. An added bonus: The rubber floors absorb sound better, helping create a quieter, more restful environment.

Handy Hygiene

A sink by the door encourages all visitors to wash their hands as they enter, helping protect our patients from infection.

Room Tour: Intensive Care Nursery

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Comfort and Care

Patient rooms in our new Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) are designed to be both cutting-edge and cozy. We've put thought into every detail so we can provide a quiet, calming and family-friendly environment that supports the healing and development of our smallest patients.

Family Zone

To make it easier to stay by your newborn's side, we furnished the ICN rooms with comfortable chairs and couches that convert to sleepers for overnight stays. There's also lockable storage space and a wireless Internet connection.